CAT Visit & Lecture ~ 2013

Some pictures from a good day over at the Centre for Alternate Technology (CAT) in Wales with this year's cohort of Green Design students. 

Student comment: "Lovely (journey)! Amazing views. It was a great day out. Probably the best uni trip I've been on. "

Student comment: "The centre was really interesting and gave me a better idea of what materials to look into but also how these materials could be reused/ recycled... This trip gave me a lot to think about and will benefit my research when looking around for suitable materials."

 We've evolved links, annual visits and lectures with staff there over a number of years now and take our student cohorts each year for a visit and lecture/workshop around sustainability and materials properties. Students were also set tasks for their own personal learning journal blogs on top of the exploration of exhibits on site and the lecture from the excellent Jo Gwillim. Students will now use some of the references gathered and points raised in Jo's lecture to add to their present thinking regards this year's 'live' eco packaging brief (for regional natural paints manufacturer Edward Bulmer: Pots of Paint).

Heading outwards into Wales on a crisp, sunny November morning.

Students take pictures of the view from the top of
CAT's water-driven tram railway.

A fantastic autumnal view from the top of CAT's tram railway.

The excellent Jo Gwillim talks through energy
used in making and recycling different materials.

Students undertaking the materials workshop.

Jo talks with students undertaking the materials workshop.

Students undertaking the materials workshop.

Students and tutor undertaking the materials workshop with Jo.

Students enjoy some play after lectures, workshops and blog tasks.

The courtyard in CAT's new WISE Centre.

The rammed-earth lecture theatre in CAT's WISE Centre.

One of the many art installations on site.

Students examine one of the biodomes on site.

Session Task
Weds 27th and Thu 28th Nov: Your Thoughts & Feedback

N.B. Please add your replies as a 'comment' to this blog post. Please use any browser but not Safari to do so as it's a bit funny with blogs.

Before your answers in your comment, please write:

A. Your name.

B. Which session you're in (i.e. tues or thu).

Reflective questions to answer:

1. Had you heard of CAT before you came on the module? If 'yes' then please give an idea where you'd heard about them.

2. Please give your thoughts on the 3x most notable points raised in the sustainability lecture on site. For example it could be methods of reducing CO2 discussed, the varying views of the 'future' given the issues of oil and climate change or maybe the idea of 'real worth' with materials and artifacts (i.e. remember Jo explaining that one torch would appear to be the most sustainable but in practise another was simpler and more effective).

3. Please give your thoughts on the 3x most notable things picked-up while at CAT (i.e. it could be one of the specific exhibits seen, their self sufficiency with solar etc and/or maybe the clever use of materials with specific buildings to help reduce CO2 etc).

4. Now you've had time to reflect, what 3x things gained from the CAT visit might you bring forward into your ideas and developments for the sustainable packaging brief?

Trip to the Centre for Alternate Technology Next Week..

Just a quick reminder that we're off on the module trip next thur (14th Nov) to the Centre for Alternate Technology in Wales.. We take the Green Designers here each year for a lecture and workshop around materials that the University pays for.. Here's what past students have said about the day:

Student A"It (the visit/lecture) has also not only made me think about the materials, but also the use of the product after it is purchased to prolong its life and delay the need to go to recycling. It has been a very informative trip and made me consider my overall "designer footprint" instead of just using the first material that comes to mind and to look deeper, research more and become a more conscious designer generally speaking." 

And 

Student B"CAT was a place I had never heard of before until this module, but this module has opened my way of thinking and my attitude to green design and a greener way of life, so I was keen to see what they had to say and offer.
The journey of a product doesn't need to end so fast, 99% of American brought goods end up in a landmine after 6 months, but he was challenging us to think what could be done from these goods, such as bags from umbrealla's etc.." 

And 

Student C"I think Jo was great; he really has a passion for sustainability and his enthusiasm was clear which helped make the talk interesting."

A Video Explaining CAT's Zero Carbon Britain Campaign:




CAT's 'Zero Carbon Britain' Campaign .pdf
http://www.zerocarbonbritain.org/index.php/current-report

Peter Lawley Client Visit for Edward Bulmer Pots of Paint Ltd.

Really interesting visit/talk this week from Peter Lawley, the Production Manager at Edward Bulmer Pots of Paint Ltd. Huge thanks again to Peter for coming in to talk to students. In the hour or so that he spoke and we took associated questions, I think we covered a vast amount of ground relating to your eco packaging brief. Peter also suggested various other references, companies and ideas that might help inspire your thinking and research in relation to the brief this year too (you'll have to listen to the .mp3 file below if you've forgotten!).

Peter Lawley talks to Green Design students about their products.

.MP3 recording of visit (1hr plus) 117Mb